He has not gone in with a 'gimme' to give the home crowd something to celebrate, but a win for Smith could propel his career in the Light-Welterweight Division.
We also have a top fight over in the United States featuring two Super Featherweights who believe they are the very best in the Division and the winner is going to leave with three of the four World Titles.
Dalton Smith vs Alberto Puello
It would have been really easy for Dalton Smith to decide to have something of a homecoming fight before taking on a former World Champion in the first defence of his WBC Light-Welterweight World Title, but it has been a year of inactivity thanks to injury and Smith is looking to march forward.
He is unbeaten and Dalton Smith ripped the World Title from the boogeyman of the Division when Stopping Subriel Matias in the Fifth Round in New York City.
Seeing off this mandatory challenger may allow Dalton Smith to target one of the other two World Champions in a Unification bid, while the domestic fight with Adam Azim could become a big one in 2027 if the latter can move forward and win the currently vacant IBF World Title as one of the top Ranked fighters with that organisation.
Looking too far ahead would be a mistake and Smith will know that.
Alberto Puello lost the WBC World Title to the aforementioned Matias in what was a very competitive and close fight.
That remains the only defeat on the record, but Puello had won the previous two contests on Split Decisions and you do have to wonder if he is active enough in Twelve Round fights to earn one on the road.
Dalton Smith has power, but is also a better Boxer than some may think and he may have the gas tank to overwhelm Alberto Puello, although Stopping the Challenger may be tough.
The power was evident in the win over Subriel Matias back in January, and a late Stoppage cannot be ruled out here if the referee is perhaps as cautious as some of the officials have become. We have seen them make some bad decisions to step in when not warranted and Dalton Smith is going to be pressing the fight, but Alberto Puello has shown he is a tough enough fighter to see the cards in a defeat on Saturday night.
There are some prospects on the undercard, but the chief support should see Giorgio Visioli continue his progress at the expense of veteran Maxi Hughes.
The later deserves respect, but Hughes was Stopped earlier this year and at 36 years old he is dropping back a Division, which is far from ideal.
Giorgio Visioli is still a developing fighter, but he may have enough to force an end to the contest before the final bell is heard at the end of the Tenth Round.
Over in the United States, Emanuel Navarrete vs O'Shaquie Foster is worthy of the main event status it is getting this weekend.
They hold three of the four World Titles in the Super Featherweight Division and this really does feel like a fifty-fifty fight.
Both have been in decent form- Emanuel Navarrete has looked back to his old self when returning to this Division having suffered a defeat at Lightweight, while O'Shaquie Foster has a couple of rock solid wins over Stephen Fulton and Raymond Ford ahead of this one.
Some will believe this is a Matador vs The Bull contest with Foster the technical Boxer and Navarrete looking to get forward and unleash bombs, but the latter is far from orthodox and the angles he finds breaks opponents down.
That could be the key here and the narrow underdog from Mexico may do just enough to edge past O'Shaquie Foster in what should be a very good fight to watch.
MY PICKS: Dalton Smith to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.20 William Hill (1 Unit)
Giorgio Vasioli to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 2.37 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Emanuel Navarrete @ 2.50 William Hill (1 Unit)
Boxing 2026: 28-47, - 11.13 Units (121 Units Staked, - 9.20% Yield)
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